An Old-Fashioned Apple Spice Cake

Your Best Apple Cake Contest Runner-up!

Recipe
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Photo by Sarah Shatz

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This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Apple Cake

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Non-Pie Thanksgiving Dessert
A&M's Testing Notes: Betteirene's recipe is like a cake with a snowcap. The bottom half is reminiscent of carrot cake, textured with grated apples, raisins and chopped nuts. The cake batter is dense and on top...
Betteirene's recipe is like a cake with a snowcap. The bottom half is reminiscent of carrot cake, textured with grated apples, raisins and chopped nuts. The cake batter is dense and on top of it you spread a thick layer of brown sugar meringue. As you assemble it, you’ll be convinced of its imminent doom. Fear not! In the oven, the meringue toasts and the cake, protected by its meringue roof, retains its moisture, and the best part is the pudding-like layer that forms between them. The meringue needs to be beaten over a water bath, and we learned the hard way that you need hand-held beaters to do this -- whisking it by hand for 10 minutes over a pan of hot water is like running a marathon in heels. Also, we think that light brown sugar is the way to go for both the meringue and the cake.- A&M

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Chef
betteirene's Notes: I asked for this recipe about 45 years ago from one of my mother's friends when we lived on an Air Force Base in Okinawa. I had just begun to bake and the recipe is so easy that it was a...
I asked for this recipe about 45 years ago from one of my mother's friends when we lived on an Air Force Base in Okinawa. I had just begun to bake and the recipe is so easy that it was a success on my first try. With a few tweaks, I've been baking it ever since. Try to use a nice, flavorful apple like Granny Smith, Jonathan, MacIntosh, Rome or Paula Red.

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Serves 6-8

For the Meringue::

2 large egg whites Ask the
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1 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar Ask the
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2 tablespoons water Ask the
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For the Cake::

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature Ask the
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1 cup firmly packed brown sugar Ask the
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2 large egg yolks Ask the
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1 teaspoon baking soda Ask the
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1/2 teaspoon salt Ask the
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1 teaspoon cinnamon Ask the
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1/2 teaspoon ground ginger Ask the
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1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional) Ask the
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2 large, meaty apples, cored and grated on the large holes of a box grater Ask the
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1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts (optional) Ask the
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1/2 cup raisins (optional) Ask the
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2 cups spooned and leveled all-purpose flour Ask the
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Position a rack in the middle level of oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9"x9" baking pan or casserole dish.
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To make the meringue, place the egg whites, brown sugar and water in the top of a double boiler. Put enough water in the bottom of the double boiler to touch the bottom of the top pot. Over high heat, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until peaks form, 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
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For the cake, beat together butter and brown sugar until fluffy; add egg yolks and blend well. By hand, stir in baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, grated apples, walnuts and raisins. Fold in the flour, blending well but being careful to not overmix.
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Spoon batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Spread meringue evenly over the batter. Bake until top is crisp, about 45 minutes. If you serve it while warm, the meringue will crack when you cut it, but that's a good thing. If you want nice, neat uniform slices, serve the cake the next day.
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Csweeney added 21 days ago

I loved the story of this cake, and I wanted to like it, but I knew I should have turned back once I saw
How much sugar went intonit. If you dont like super-sweet things, this one is not for you.

pvanhagenlcsw added 26 days ago

This is a wonderful recipe and I am so glad I found it. I do not have a 9x9 pan so I used a round 9" spring form pan . It is fairly deep and good thing because the cake rose considerably.It took considerably longer than 45 minutes to cook but what a beauty and fabulous flavor.

Drew Lorenc added 2 months ago

First and foremost, DELICIOUS!!! This cake was divine! Now... the meringue, while very tasty, decided to expand significantly. Well beyond what I expected from the photo. Any suggestions on how to reduce the puffing of meringue? I'm thinking that I didn't beat the egg whites enough, or perhaps the heat was too low. Any ideas if that would impact it's growth in the oven? Thanks!

aargersi added about 1 year ago

I have been eyeing this recipe for a long time - yesterday I finally made it and it is SO GOOD! The meringue is a lot of fun to make, and the cake is just gorgeous ... it may make a Thanksgiving appearance too!

kelleya added over 2 years ago

This cake is absolutely wonderful. It is easy to make and delicious both warm and the next day. I used Garnny Smith and they were perfect for this.

Rhonda35 added over 2 years ago

The meringue topping reminds me of one of my favorite apple cakes: Torta di Mele in Lynne Rossetto Kasper's "The Italian Country Table." I love the way the top crackles and splinters when you cut into it.